Julie Gilkay

A community arts event led by Neighborhood Partners in collaboration with the Historic Central Neighborhood and the Lawrence/City Park Neighborhood of Appleton will bring large, articulated puppets, masks, gowns and carry-along props along with music paraded through residential streets of these two core Appleton neighborhoods.

The event takes place noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 1.

Neighborhood Partners is a program of Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin that builds the capacity and leadership of neighbors to work together to transform the place they live.

Inspired by the Minneapolis May Day Parade, the Neighborhood Big Puppets Parade features the work of local artists and neighbors and students from the Renaissance School for the Arts, Kaleidoscope Academy, and Columbus and Edison elementary schools.

The event begins at Columbus Elementary School’s playground with a community workshop to decorate props during the school’s 125th anniversary celebration carnival. The parade will make several loops around the Historic Central Neighborhood before traveling to City Park to join the Lawrence/City Park Neighborhood at City Park for its neighbor-led arts and community event, Imagine City Park.

“Community-led arts events are one of the most exciting ways for neighbors to make their neighborhoods special,” said Julie Filapek, Neighborhood Partners program leader. “More than 100 people — children and adults — have contributed nearly 500 volunteer hours creating the puppets for this parade. There is so much to celebrate in our core Appleton neighborhoods, and this parade is one exuberant way to do that.”

The event is supported by the Rotary Club of Appleton and by a grant from the Bright Idea Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.

About Goodwill:Goodwill NCW is a not-for-profit human services organization that believes in Elevating People by Eliminating Barriers to Employment across 35 counties in north central Wisconsin. Goodwill NCW is one of four companies in the nation to be honored with a Platinum Well Workplace Award from the Wellness Council of America, which recognizes our commitment to wellness in the workplace. The organization includes 27 retail stores and training centers in communities from Manitowoc to La Crosse, 24 human services programs, a unique shopping experience at its Appleton outlet store, plus online shopping at www.reStitch.com, a women’s apparel website, and www.shopgoodwill.com. It offers four Donation Express sites and 10 convenient donation bins throughout the Fox Cities. Goodwill NCW is a Platinum Level member of GuideStar.org, the world’s largest source of nonprofit organization information. Visit www.goodwillncw.org.

Opening day for Goodwill’s three Miracle League programs — Miracle League of the Fox Valley, Miracle League of the Lakeshore and Miracle League of the Chippewa Valley — is fast approaching.

Miracle League is a program of Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin that gives children ages 4-19 with intellectual and/or physical disabilities the opportunity to play organized baseball in an organized, noncompetitive league on a safe, accessible field with a synthetic surface. Each player is paired with a community volunteer who assists with hitting, rounding the bases and having fun. It’s about building relationships, improving self-esteem and being part of a team.

Miracle League of the Fox Valley

The Miracle League of the Fox Valley is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Opening day will be at 10:30 a.m. June 8, and the regular season gets underway June 10 at the John Wollner Fox Cities Miracle League Field at Memorial Park, 1620 E. Witzke Blvd., Appleton. Regular-season games are played at 5:30 and 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. The league is entering this milestone season with 16 teams, 212 players and 268 volunteers.

“It’s unbelievable to think this is the 10th season of Miracle League baseball in the Fox Valley,” program director Lisa Robbins said. “The league has grown into an important program for our community — parents have seen their child step into the batter’s box for the first time (over 1,500 players), meaningful friendships have been made, middle- and high-school students have had their first volunteer opportunity, our community has learned about advocacy and acceptance, and the players have a league and field to call their own. It’s been an amazing nine seasons with so much laughter and joy. I’m looking forward to celebrating the 2019 season with our MLFV families, community volunteers, fans and sponsors!”

Find more information on the Miracle League of the Fox Valley at foxvalleymiracleleague.com.

Miracle League of the Lakeshore

The Opening Day Celebration gets underway at 9:30 a.m. June 1 at the Goodwill Miracle League Field of Dreams at Dewey Street Park, 1840 S. 35th St., Manitowoc.

The league is entering its sixth season with 10 teams, 100 players and more than 100 volunteers. The regular season gets underway June 3, with games played at 5:30 and 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and ends Aug. 1. The league will be entering into its second year of the Over 19 All Star League with two teams, 25 players and 25 volunteers. The games are played at 6 p.m. Wednesdays.

Find more information on the Miracle League of the Lakeshore at miracleleaguelakeshore.com.

Miracle League of the Chippewa Valley

Miracle League of the Chippewa Valley is holding its Opening Day Celebration at 2 p.m. June 3 at Jeffers Road Park, 5710 Jeffers Road, Eau Claire.

League play runs June 10 through Aug. 7, with an optional All-Star game the week of Aug. 12. Games are played at 5:30 and 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. The league is entering its third season with eight teams, 135 players and 180 volunteers.

For more information on the Miracle League of the Lakeshore, visit chippewavalleymiracleleague.com.

About Goodwill: Goodwill NCW is a not-for-profit human services organization that believes in Elevating People by Eliminating Barriers to Employment across 35 counties in north central Wisconsin. Goodwill NCW is one of four companies in the nation to be honored with a Platinum Well Workplace Award from the Wellness Council of America, which recognizes our commitment to wellness in the workplace. The organization includes 27 retail stores and training centers in communities from Manitowoc to La Crosse, 24 human services programs, a unique shopping experience at its Appleton outlet store, plus online shopping at www.reStitch.com, a women’s apparel website, and www.shopgoodwill.com. It offers four Donation Express sites and 10 convenient donation bins throughout the Fox Cities. Goodwill NCW is a Platinum Level member of GuideStar.org, the world’s largest source of nonprofit organization information. Visit www.goodwillncw.org.

Goodwill NCW opened its second boutique in the Fox Valley at its Neenah Retail Store and Training Center, 907 S. Green Bay Road.

Goodwill NCW opened its first boutique at the Rib Mountain Retail Store and Training Center in January 2018 followed by the one at the Darboy Retail Store and Training Center in May 2018.

The boutique in Neenah is the third in Goodwill NCW’s 35-county region.

The look and feel of the boutique is different than regular Goodwill stores and offers more upscale merchandise such as clothing, handbags, jewelry, shoes, scarves and formal wear in brands such as Michael Kors, Coach, DKNY, Miss Me, Vera Bradley and more. Like at Goodwill stores, shoppers still will find items with color tags, and every week one of the colors — the color tag of the week — is 50% off.

The shopping experience is different than the regular store in that the brand names are already curated for the shopper and are pulled together in an area within the retail store and training center.

Items in the boutique start at $9.99 and are merchandised much like you would find in a specialty shop. Fixtures are carefully displayed so that each one offers a different look and feel by color, brand and seasonality.

About Goodwill: Goodwill NCW is a not-for-profit human services organization that in 2017 helped improve the lives of more than 70,000 people across 35 counties in north central Wisconsin. Goodwill NCW is one of four companies in the nation to be honored with a Platinum Well Workplace Award from the Wellness Council of America, which recognizes our commitment to wellness in the workplace. The organization includes 27 retail stores and training centers in communities from Manitowoc to La Crosse, 24 human services programs, a unique shopping experience at its Appleton outlet store, plus online shopping at www.reStitch.com, a women’s apparel website, and www.shopgoodwill.com. It offers four Donation Express sites and 10 convenient donation bins throughout the Fox Cities. Goodwill NCW is a Platinum Level member of GuideStar.org, the world’s largest source of nonprofit organization information. Visit www.goodwillncw.org.

It’s Girl Scout cookie time, and local troops will be selling cookies at some of our stores. You can get your cookie fix 4-8 p.m. March 8 and 22 as well as 10 a.m.-6 p.m. March 9, 10, 23 and 24 at the Darboy, Neenah, Green Bay West, Waupaca, Rib Mountain, Antigo, Plover, Lake Hallie and Marshfield retail stores and training centers.

The Miracle League of the Lakeshore is kicking off the upcoming baseball season with its own spring-training event.

The league’s Spring Training Celebration will be held 5-8 p.m. March 9 at Fox Hills Resort, 250 W. Church St., Mishicot.

The Miracle League of the Lakeshore is a program of Goodwill NCW and is entering its sixth season.

The family-friendly event and fundraiser includes musical entertainment, food and refreshments, silent auction and raffles. Bill Jartz from WBAY-TV will emcee the event.

Admission to the Spring Training Celebration is $10 for adults, $5 for children and free for Miracle League players. Tickets are available at the door.

Registration is now open to both players and volunteers for the 2019 Miracle League of the Lakeshore season. Opening day will be June 1. Games are played on the Goodwill NCW Field of Dreams at Dewey Street Park in Manitowoc.

Miracle League gives children ages 4-19 with intellectual and/or physical disabilities the opportunity to play organized baseball in an organized, noncompetitive league on a safe, accessible field with a synthetic surface. Each player is paired with a community volunteer who assists with hitting, rounding the bases and having fun. It’s about building relationships, improving self-esteem and being part of a team.

Community volunteers are needed to serve as buddies, coaches, announcers and umpires during the eight-week season.

For more information, visit miracleleaguelakeshore.com.

About Goodwill NCW: Goodwill NCW is a not-for-profit human services organization that in 2017 helped improve the lives of more than 70,000 people across 35 counties in north central Wisconsin. The organization includes 27 retail stores and training centers in communities from Manitowoc to La Crosse, 24 human services programs, a unique shopping experience at its Appleton outlet store, plus online shopping at www.reStitch.com, a women’s apparel website, and www.shopgoodwill.com. It offers four Donation Express sites in the Fox Valley and 10 convenient donation bins throughout the Fox Cities. Goodwill NCW is a Platinum Level member of GuideStar.org, the world’s largest source of nonprofit organization information. Visit the website at www.goodwillncw.org.

Registration is now open to both players and community volunteers for the 2019 Miracle League of the Fox Valley, Miracle League of the Lakeshore and Miracle League of the Chippewa Valley seasons.

Goodwill NCW sponsors three Miracle League programs across its 35 counties.

Miracle League gives children ages 4-19 with intellectual and/or physical disabilities the opportunity to play organized baseball in an organized, noncompetitive league on a safe, accessible field with a synthetic surface. Each player is paired with a community volunteer who assists with hitting, rounding the bases and having fun. It’s about building relationships, improving self-esteem and being part of a team.

Community volunteers are needed to serve as buddies, coaches, announcers and umpires during the eight-week season.

Here’s more detailed information on each of the programs:

Miracle League of the Fox Valley

The Miracle League of the Fox Valley is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

The deadline to register is March 29, and players will be notified of their team late April. Games are played at the John Wollner Fox Cities Miracle Field at Memorial Park in Appleton.

Opening day will be 10:30 a.m. to noon June 8, and the regular season gets underway on June 10. Each team plays one game a week at either 5:30 or 7 p.m. Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday. There are no practices. The cost is $45 per player. The fee includes a team jersey, cap, team picture, player insurance and end-of-the-season award.

For registration forms and more information, visit foxvalleymiracleleague.com.

“It’s unbelievable to think this is the 10th season of Miracle League baseball in the Fox Valley,” said program director Lisa Robbins. “The league has grown into an important program for our community — parents have seen their child step into the batter’s box for the first time (over 1,500 players), meaningful friendships have been made, middle- and high-school students have had their first volunteer opportunity, our community has learned about advocacy and acceptance, and the players have a league and field to call their own. It’s been an amazing nine seasons with so much laughter and joy. I’m looking forward to celebrating the 2019 season with our MLFV families, community volunteers, fans and sponsors!”

Miracle League of the Lakeshore

The Miracle League of the Lakeshore is entering its sixth season at Goodwill Miracle Field of Dreams at Miracles Park in Manitowoc.

The deadline to register is April 1, and players will be notified of their team mid-April. The Opening Day Celebration will be held 9:30-10:30 a.m. June 1.

The league’s Spring Training Celebration will be held 5-8 p.m. March 9 at Fox Hills Resort, 250 W. Church St., Mishicot. The family-friendly event and fundraiser includes musical entertainment, food and refreshments, silent auction and raffles. Bill Jartz from WBAY-TV will emcee the event. Tickets are available at the door.

The regular season gets underway June 3, with games played Mondays and Wednesdays at 5:30 and 7 p.m. Each participant plays one game a week.

The Miracle League of the Lakeshore also offers an over 19 All Star League. Individuals over 19 with intellectual and physical disabilities are encouraged to play. The All Star League plays on Wednesday nights. This will be the second season of this league.

For registration forms and more information, visit miracleleaguelakeshore.com.

Miracle League of the Chippewa Valley

The Miracle League of the Chippewa Valley is entering its third season. More than 100 players participated in the league in 2018.

The deadline to register a player is March 31. Volunteer/buddy registration will remain open until all positions are filled. Players and buddies will be notified of their team in April.

Games are played at Miracle Field at Jeffers Road Park in Eau Claire. The regular season gets underway June 10, with games played Mondays and Wednesdays at 5:30 and 7 p.m. Each participant plays one game a week.

For registration forms and more information, visit chippewavalleymiracleleague.com.

About Goodwill: Goodwill NCW is a not-for-profit human services organization that in 2017 helped improve the lives of more than 70,000 people across 35 counties in north central Wisconsin. Goodwill NCW is one of four companies in the nation to be honored with a Platinum Well Workplace Award from the Wellness Council of America, which recognizes our commitment to wellness in the workplace. The organization includes 27 retail stores and training centers in communities from Manitowoc to La Crosse, 24 human services programs, a unique shopping experience at its Appleton outlet store, plus online shopping at www.reStitch.com, a women’s apparel website, and www.shopgoodwill.com. It offers four Donation Express sites and 10 convenient donation bins throughout the Fox Cities. Goodwill NCW is a Platinum Level member of GuideStar.org, the world’s largest source of nonprofit organization information. Visit www.goodwillncw.org.

Christyn Abaray, director of athletics and assistant to the president at Lawrence University, has joined the Goodwill NCW board of directors.

Abaray joined Lawrence University as the director of athletics in 2016, leading the athletics department of 21 intercollegiate teams and a group of more than 30 coaches and other personnel. She previously served as director of athletics at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, and associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.

Abaray is a graduate of the Women Leaders in College Sports/Hers Institute, the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and Females, the NCAA Pathway Program, and the Division III Institute.

A Cincinnati native, Abaray graduated from Washington University in St. Louis. She received a master of arts degree in exercise and sport science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program needs volunteers to assist in the free preparation of tax returns for low- to moderate-income taxpayers for the 2018 tax year.

Volunteers are asked to serve at least 20 hours between Jan. 30 and April 15 and will receive training in small-group sessions. VITA is seeking greeters, basic and advanced tax preparers, screeners, and quality reviewers.

All volunteers must complete a background check before volunteering.

In preparation for returns filed for the 2017 tax year, Goodwill NCW’s VITA program trained more than 50 volunteers (students, professionals and community members), who prepared more than 1,600 federal tax returns for low-to-moderate income, disabled or non-English speaking residents of the Fox Valley.

VITA (www.filetaxes4free.org) is one of 24 programs supported by Goodwill NCW with revenue generated from community donations and store purchases. A program of the IRS, VITA is designed to help low and moderate-income taxpayers complete their annual tax returns at no cost.

VITA services are available nationwide; each year, millions of low-to-moderate income tax filers are provided free tax assistance, preparation and electronic filing through VITA programs.

Two information sessions are scheduled for prospective volunteers, all at the Goodwill Community Campus, 1800 Appleton Road, Menasha:

Or contact VITA site coordinator Jackie Zolp at 920-968-6021 or jzolp@goodwillncw.org.

About Goodwill NCW: Goodwill NCW is a not-for-profit human services organization that in 2017 helped improve the lives of 72,937 people across 35 counties in north central Wisconsin. Through the sale of donated and new merchandise at 27 retail stores and an Outlet Store in Appleton, plus online shopping at www.reStitch.com (women’s apparel) and www.shopgoodwill.com, Goodwill NCW supports the work of 24 programs and services, and partners with dozens of agencies and organizations across the state. Goodwill NCW’s service area extends from Manitowoc to La Crosse, and as far north as Rice Lake and Rhinelander. It offers four Donation Express sites and 10 donation bins throughout the Fox Valley. A member of Goodwill Industries International and Rehabilitation For Wisconsin, it is based at the Goodwill Community Center in Menasha. Visit the website at www.goodwillncw.org.

Menasha, Wis. — Registration is open for the ninth annual Call to Action event hosted by Fox Valley Voices of Men, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 15, at the Red Lion Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton.

Registration is $20 per seat for the annual event, with free registration for students and their chaperones. To register online, go to: http://bit.ly/VoicesOfMen2018.

The program for the annual Call to Action event runs 8-9:30 a.m., with a Q/A session with keynote speakers 9:30-10 a.m. Light refreshments will be served at the event.

The event will be livestreamed on the Voices of Men website (www.voicesofmen.com), and it also will be available in recorded form.

Voices of Men, a program of Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin, provides training and messaging for males of all ages to create a more respectful, safer world.

Voices of Men was launched in 2007 as an initiative of four Fox Valley domestic abuse and sexual assault programs: Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services (Oshkosh), Harbor House Domestic Abuse Program (Appleton), Reach Counseling (Neenah-Oshkosh), and the Sexual Assault Crisis Center (Appleton).

While those programs generally serve a female population, the issue of sexual assault and domestic abuse is generally a male-population issue. Multiple studies show that approximately 90 percent of sexual assault and domestic violence perpetrators are men.

Voices of Men’s mission statement is: “Fox Valley men helping end sexual assault and domestic violence by dismantling Man Box culture and building a culture of Healthy Manhood.”

The event, which usually attracts an audience of 1,000 people from Fox Valley schools, organizations and businesses, will be led by Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre, a two-time National Poetry Slam champion, activist and educator. A native of the La Crosse area, Guante has performed at previous Call to Action events.

Guante, now based in Twin Cities, creates challenging and often uncomfortable work, defying societal norms on treatment of, and attitudes toward, women.

According to Guante’s website (www.guante.info), “Guante strives to cultivate a deeper, more critical engagement with social justice issues, one based in both empathy and agency. An educator as well as a performing artist, Guante completed his master’s studies in 2016 at the University of Minnesota with a focus on spoken word, critical pedagogy, and social justice education; in that spirit, his performances use poems as jumping-off points for authentic dialogue, critical thinking and community-building.”

Voices of Men became a program of Goodwill NCW in September 2016. It is guided by a leadership team that includes executive directors of its founding agencies, 10 volunteers and Goodwill NCW.

About Goodwill NCW: Goodwill NCW is a not-for-profit human services organization that in 2017 helped improve the lives of 72,937 people across 35 counties in north central Wisconsin. The organization includes 27 retail stores and training centers in communities from Manitowoc to La Crosse, 24 human services programs, a unique shopping experience at its Appleton outlet store, plus online shopping at www.reStitch.com, a women’s apparel website, and www.shopgoodwill.com. It offers four Donation Express sites in the Fox Cities and Green Bay, and 10 convenient donation bins throughout the Fox Cities. Goodwill NCW is a Platinum Level member of GuideStar.org, the world’s largest source of nonprofit organization information. Visit the website at www.goodwillncw.org.

Since 1971, Goodwill NCW has been serving up deals for Halloween that fright and delight.

Whether our costume consultants help you pull together the perfect one-of-a-kind look with our donated treasures or you choose one of our ready-to-wear costumes, Goodwill has everything you need for the season and is the place to be for adding ­air or scare to your costume, home décor, party or yard.

And by shopping Goodwill, you’re helping the community you live in. How’s that for a treat!

This Halloween — and every Halloween — your local Goodwill store comes to play for Halloween ghosts and goblins, princesses and cowboys, kiddos and grown-ups.

Goodwill also offers new Halloween costumes and accessories — Wigs! Masks! Robes! And more! — for shoppers who need a great look in a big hurry. We also supply Halloween and fall décor to help make your home look as frightening or as welcoming (for little trick-or-treaters) as you like.

There’s no need to be scared of your Halloween costume options at any of the 27 Goodwill NCW retail stores, from one side of Wisconsin to the other.

But we urge shoppers to take advantage of not only what we have in our stores, but HOW we help you get the most for your money: We give you hands-on help in creating the best costume you can buy!

A costume idea book will be available in every Goodwill NCW retail store, offering dozens of suggestions for your distinctive look.

A wide selection of makeup to change your usually cheery look into something far more ghoulish.

Every store has hundreds of apparel and ready-to-make costume items. If the costume is for neighborhood trick-or-treating or a night out on the town, Goodwill NCW has what you’ll need for a great memory in the making!

Shoes, hats, accessories, gowns, beards, masks, wigs … all at bargain prices, and all for a great cause.

The princesses in your world will want to see our tutu collection. We have a LOT!

Want to be a cheerleader for the local team? We can make that look happen in green and gold, red and white, and other team-color combos.

Goodwill team members will dress up to make the shopping experience fun. Steal their ideas!

Throwing a Halloween party? We have party accessories for the perfect gathering.

Beginning Oct. 5, costume consultants will be available in all Goodwill NCW stores to help you create a one-of-a-kind costume.
Here’s when you’ll get a great hand-up in pulling together your Halloween costume:

For the fourth consecutive year, we’re getting help from radio personalities across our 35-county footprint. They’ll be dressing in full costume and competing on social media as best-dressed! More details when we get closer to their online contests.

No doubt, Goodwill NCW stores come to play for Halloween. But shoppers make a difference in ways other than their looks. Every purchase supports Goodwill NCW’s 24 programs and services. In 2017, those human-services programs touched the lives of 72,937 people across Wisconsin.

From providing employment opportunities to people with disabilities through job training and job placement to Miracle League baseball (kids from ages 4-19 play the sport on a special rubberized field, with volunteer “buddies”) to FISC (financial counseling) from Payment Partner (payee services and money management) to our VITA program (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance), shopping at Goodwill makes a hometown difference.

Goodwill NCW’s mission — Elevating People — is lived 365 days each year and supported by retail revenue and generous donations, many of which are part of Halloween costumes.